I have been in Chicago four weeks TODAY! I could not have asked for anything more. I got to spend time with my parents, I treated the city like I was tourist for the kids, and I really had to opportunity to get some much-needed rest.
Most importantly, I have regained a sense of myself and I have a handle on the ups and downs of life and how to handle them and "keep my yellow."
We are leaving Chicago in 6 days. From there, we drive to Florida. One week after that, we are back in Dallas. I plan to blog regularly from now until we leave Chi-town, but I am going to try to stay off the computer while we are in Tampa and Orlando. If anything, I expect that leg of the journey to be the most exciting, most energy-filled, and most noisy.
Once we're back in Dallas, I'll post some concluding thoughts on road-tripping...but hmmmmm, I wonder what I should write about next?
Have a great weekend!
Friday, July 25, 2008
Link Love to Other Road Tripping Bloggers
These blogs have fun tips and valuable information for road trippers this summer:
http://singleparents.about.com/b/2008/05/26/five-pitfalls-to-avoid-on-your-next-road-trip.htm
http://www.becentsable.net/2008/07/survivormom-surviving-road-trip-with.html
http://singleparents.about.com/b/2008/05/26/five-pitfalls-to-avoid-on-your-next-road-trip.htm
http://www.becentsable.net/2008/07/survivormom-surviving-road-trip-with.html
Thursday, July 24, 2008
I Finished Chapter One
Before I started writing this post, I read through all of my previous posts to see if I had mentioned that I am in the process of writing a book. Well, I hadn't. Then I realized that I have never blogged about the decision to "take a year off" from the world either. So here goes.
My decision to embark on a cross-country road trip this summer was the result of several things. I wanted to travel with the kids..affordably...and have the opportunity to work on my consulting business, this blog, and begin writing a book about an interesting irony I recently discovered.
Until this past May, I had a full-time (40 hr/ week) job outside of the home and I was the primary caregiver for my children. Their dad and I separated last December, and since then, his involvement with the kids has been less than desirable. This spring it seemed like all at once my world crashed. My boss was as understanding as she could be (which was very limited and NOT nearly what I needed her to be), I felt more pressure from the kids' schools to be even more of a supermom (as a way of compensating for the separation/divorce...yes they can make you feel really guilty), and for the first time in my life, my parenting was questioned by entities who should have been concerned about their own operations. (I know the last part was vague...that's a blog post for another day.)
One more thing...my birthday was in May...and ever since I turned 30 six years ago, I have been making some huge life decisions around that time. And this year was no different. In May, I decided that I needed a year off. I needed to work less in order to spend time with my kids more. I need to drop them off at school on time, I need to pick them up when the school day ends (not when afterschool care ends), and I needed to have our evening routine with homework, reading, math facts, dinner, and bedtime operate more smoothly than it did last year.
I needed to quit my job.
The irony of all of this is that as I realized that I desperately needed to be home more for the kids, I wasn't sure if I could afford it financially. It can be a challenge for dual-income families when one spouse stops working, but what does it mean for a single-parent family when the single parent stops working full-time? I didn't know, but I would soon find out, and live to write about it.
Enter the road trip to Chicago. Enter the time spent with my parents. Enter the creation of my consulting business. And enter the writing of the first chapter. My goal this summer is to write two chapters and pen the rest as the year progresses. My book is about the irony of it all, how it was the write thing for us, and how it ends.
Here's to the celebration of Chapter One! Wahooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!
My decision to embark on a cross-country road trip this summer was the result of several things. I wanted to travel with the kids..affordably...and have the opportunity to work on my consulting business, this blog, and begin writing a book about an interesting irony I recently discovered.
Until this past May, I had a full-time (40 hr/ week) job outside of the home and I was the primary caregiver for my children. Their dad and I separated last December, and since then, his involvement with the kids has been less than desirable. This spring it seemed like all at once my world crashed. My boss was as understanding as she could be (which was very limited and NOT nearly what I needed her to be), I felt more pressure from the kids' schools to be even more of a supermom (as a way of compensating for the separation/divorce...yes they can make you feel really guilty), and for the first time in my life, my parenting was questioned by entities who should have been concerned about their own operations. (I know the last part was vague...that's a blog post for another day.)
One more thing...my birthday was in May...and ever since I turned 30 six years ago, I have been making some huge life decisions around that time. And this year was no different. In May, I decided that I needed a year off. I needed to work less in order to spend time with my kids more. I need to drop them off at school on time, I need to pick them up when the school day ends (not when afterschool care ends), and I needed to have our evening routine with homework, reading, math facts, dinner, and bedtime operate more smoothly than it did last year.
I needed to quit my job.
The irony of all of this is that as I realized that I desperately needed to be home more for the kids, I wasn't sure if I could afford it financially. It can be a challenge for dual-income families when one spouse stops working, but what does it mean for a single-parent family when the single parent stops working full-time? I didn't know, but I would soon find out, and live to write about it.
Enter the road trip to Chicago. Enter the time spent with my parents. Enter the creation of my consulting business. And enter the writing of the first chapter. My goal this summer is to write two chapters and pen the rest as the year progresses. My book is about the irony of it all, how it was the write thing for us, and how it ends.
Here's to the celebration of Chapter One! Wahooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Good Friends, Old Times, Orgasmic Ice Cream
I love ice cream. Everything about it is fun and tasty and sweet and creamy and wonderful. Tonight I had the chance to meet an old friend for ice cream in Chicago's Lakeview neighborhood. Lakeview is on Chicago's north side and one of those neighborhoods that I have always thought I would live in if I ever moved back. The ice cream was great, the company even better, but the jury's still out on the neighborhood.
I'm concerned about the plethora of sexually-oriented businesses I saw. Have I been in the conservative south too long? I am usually pretty liberal when it comes to sexual anything (after all, I called ice-cream orgasmic), but this was just weird. Before we knew it, our conversation went from, "I'm thinking of taking the kids to the zoo on Thursday," to "You know, lubricants are important." Again, based on my own personal liberalism, I didn't mind having this conversation (my friend is pretty liberal too), however, I would hate to be walking down Broadway Ave. with my kids only to have one of them ask, "What kinds of costumes are these, moma?"
In Dallas, I know exactly where the, ahem, "costume shop" is and it is not in the midst of a residential neighborhood. Nor is it on a strip of other costume shops, adult bookstores, and let me see... "novelty" stores. I am not expressing my dislike of these stores (the can definitely spice up a few things), but I don't know if I want to raise my children right down the street from them.
Any thoughts?
I'm concerned about the plethora of sexually-oriented businesses I saw. Have I been in the conservative south too long? I am usually pretty liberal when it comes to sexual anything (after all, I called ice-cream orgasmic), but this was just weird. Before we knew it, our conversation went from, "I'm thinking of taking the kids to the zoo on Thursday," to "You know, lubricants are important." Again, based on my own personal liberalism, I didn't mind having this conversation (my friend is pretty liberal too), however, I would hate to be walking down Broadway Ave. with my kids only to have one of them ask, "What kinds of costumes are these, moma?"
In Dallas, I know exactly where the, ahem, "costume shop" is and it is not in the midst of a residential neighborhood. Nor is it on a strip of other costume shops, adult bookstores, and let me see... "novelty" stores. I am not expressing my dislike of these stores (the can definitely spice up a few things), but I don't know if I want to raise my children right down the street from them.
Any thoughts?
Tyler Perry's Tribute to Single Moms
I love the creative artistry that is actor/ writer/ director/ producer Tyler Perry. He is absolutely amazing. For the first time in the month that I've had my iPod, I bought a movie from the iTunes store. The movie was Meet the Browns by Tyler Perry. While I don't get to go to the movies often, I do relish the opportunity to rent, buy, or see all the latest releases in a relatively timely manner.
If you've not quite understood the plight of the single mother, watch this movie. If you really want to know the fears and the realities of single motherhood, watch this movie. If you want a good laugh and a good cry (simultaneously), watch this movie. If you want to undertand the world around you a little bit better, watch this movie.
If you've not quite understood the plight of the single mother, watch this movie. If you really want to know the fears and the realities of single motherhood, watch this movie. If you want a good laugh and a good cry (simultaneously), watch this movie. If you want to undertand the world around you a little bit better, watch this movie.
"Make room for us in your hearts. We have wronged no one, we have corrupted no one, we have expolited no one. I do not say this to condemn you; I have said before that you have such a place in our hearts that we would live or die with you. I have great confidence in you, I take great pride in you. I am greatly encouraged; in all our troubles my joy knows no bounds"
2 Corinthians 7:2-4
Monday, July 21, 2008
"The Best Way to Heal...
...is by giving of your time and talents to a school, church, organization, or individual in need."
I heard that this morning on Joyce Meyer's podcast. I think I also read it a couple of months ago in one of the self-help books I was reading. I really don't think there's much more to say...service is important. Period. That's it.
If you subscribe to this blog via email and receive an empty email last night, I'm sorry. I was so excited about what I was typing that I hit "post" before I actually wrote anything. You can access the full and complete blog here.
I heard that this morning on Joyce Meyer's podcast. I think I also read it a couple of months ago in one of the self-help books I was reading. I really don't think there's much more to say...service is important. Period. That's it.
If you subscribe to this blog via email and receive an empty email last night, I'm sorry. I was so excited about what I was typing that I hit "post" before I actually wrote anything. You can access the full and complete blog here.
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